Sarawak to identify more women’s rugby players for Sukma 2026

MIRI: The Sarawak women’s rugby squad is gearing up for Sukma 2026, with a strong focus on scouting and developing more players, according to head coach Sylvia Alexander Lian.

Reflecting on the team’s recent performance,Sylvia expressed immense pride in the players’ efforts over the past eight months.

“We are very proud of them. They have been working hard, training diligently, and making significant sacrifices,” she said.

“Reaching the final is a huge achievement, especially after having consistently lost in the quarter-finals during previous Sukma Games,” she added.

Sylvia stressed that their journey to the final exceeded their expectations.

“Our initial target was simply to break the quarter-finals curse, so getting to the final is a bonus for us. Whatever the outcome, we are very grateful to God and incredibly proud of these women.”

Looking ahead, she expressed hope that their recent success will inspire more women in Sarawak to take up rugby.

 “I hope that this will encourage more women to consider playing rugby. We are very happy and proud of what the team has accomplished so far.”

As for the next steps, Sylvia revealed that the team’s focus would shift towards increasing the number of Sarawak players in the national team.

“Currently, we have two girls in the national team. Our next target is to continue training and scouting for more talents across different stages. We want to ensure that Sarawak continues to produce talented women’s rugby players.”

Sylvia also highlighted the need for more games to provide the team with greater exposure, which is crucial for their development.

 “We need more games to gain experience and exposure. Moving forward, we’ll focus on identifying and nurturing more young talent, particularly in the development section.”

The current squad is composed mainly of players aged 21, with five senior members providing experience and leadership.